The Faerie Path: Lamia's Revenge #1: The Serpent Awakes [Paperback]

THE FAERIE PATH: LAMIA'S REVENGE #1: THE SERPENT AWAKES
FREWIN JONES
YA Manga Fantasy Romance
TokyoPop

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Tania is a strong girl, destined to do great things. She manages her school and home lives well. That's saying something for a girl who can travel back and forth between the Mortal and Immortal Realms. Caught up in a whirlwind adventure of self discovery and the destruction of evil, we find Tania adjusting to her hectic life as best she can. She spends her days either in the mortal world, living as a teenage girl with her human parents, or in the immortal world, learning about the family she never knew existed. Of course, being a Faerie Princess has its perks, including the adorable Edric, her Faerie love.

Edric is dashing and completely in love with Tania. While we don't get to visit a lot with their relationship in this installment, it's enough to really feel the connection between the characters.

THE FAERIE PATH: LAMIA'S REVENGE #1: THE SERPENT AWAKES begins after Tania has already discovered that she is a member of the Royal House of Faerie. When a dark prediction soils her plans for a happy, normal life, she tries her best to make do with what happiness she has. Preparations for her father's surprise birthday party are well underway when she comes home to discover her parents gone. On her search to find them, Tania will face evil the likes of which she has not encountered before. If she fails to stop the threat and save her parents, it could mean the destruction of both of the worlds she loves.

Overall I really liked this book. THE FAERIE PATH: LAMIA'S REVENGE #1: THE SERPENT AWAKES is not written like a normal Manga. Instead, it has been printed in an American style with the story following from the front of the book through to the back, left to right. Aside from this little difference, the book was great. The story was very fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. One moment our characters would be doing something mundane like conversing with friends and the next moment we'd be pulled down into an intense battle between good and evil. Practically every page took us somewhere. I was able to finish this book in one setting because the action and suspense were so vivid that the book was really able to draw the reader in.

What I especially loved about the story were Tania and her sisters. There was such a wide range of personalities that there should be something for anyone to love. Tania herself, an emotional and yet very courageous girl was my idea of the perfect heroine. Her relationship with Jade adds a sharp note of contrast to Tania's otherwise happy life. This bit of tension was perfect and really helped to pull us along in the story.

Outside of the general story line, I found the book very easy to read. Some people don't feel that they can read Manga because it may be "too confusing," but I found the dialogue and story to flow quite nicely even though it was in a different format. The illustrations were beautiful and definitely added a note of realism to the story. There's no guessing at emotion throughout the book; emotion is precisely drawn on the faces of the characters that it is as if one is watching a movie rather than reading a book.

I really did enjoy this one and would recommend it to anyone looking to get their fix of action and fantasy for the day.

Frewin Jones is a fantasy fanatic and author of dozens of books ranging from mystery to the well-loved Faerie Path books. He can be found at [...]

Cinnamon
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
May 2009

I just finished Frewin Jones latest book and yes, it was a graphic novel, but I am finding that I am enjoying graphic novels more than I thought I would. I enjoyed seeing some of it played out in pictures, it gave my mind something more to work with, and it was quite entertaining. Also it has turned my reading into something I can share with my five year old who is not yet in school and learning to read. I also like that I get to see the whole thing in pictures, if this had been made into a movie or something then a lot would be cut, this way we get to see it all. Definitely worth an hour or two of reading.

This manga book is a good example of a novel's interpretation into the Japanese style of fiction.

THE SERPENT AWAKES brings elements from a Faerie world and the dramas of the mortal world together. Tania is the only member of the Faerie realm who can travel between the two worlds.

She was raised in the mortal world and did not know of Faerie's existence until her 16th birthday, when she found out that she was a long-lost princess of the Royal House of Faerie - and that she had sisters living in the Faerie world.

I enjoyed reading this book because of the many elements that it involves. Tania must deal with the mortal world, from juggling her time and fitting her friends into her schedule, and in the Faerie world she must also juggle the many events that are happening. Tania must figure out her priorities and decide on who she will help first, with evil stirring in both worlds.

Who will she pick: the mortals that she grew up with, or the world where she truly belongs, Faerie?

Reviewed by: Shyanne

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews  3.6 out of 5 stars